Scam warning over student loan letters

Lucy Ball

As A-level results are fast approaching some fraudsters are trying to make a quick quid by sending hoax emails to students about their university loans.

Action Fraud UK has warned the scam messages which look like they are from the official Student Loan Company (SLC) is asking students to confirm their bank details ahead of their results on Thursday so the loans and grants can be paid in.

Fiona Innes, head of counter fraud services at the SLC, said: “Online fraudsters are aware that freshers are starting university for the first time next month and are targeting them, continuing students, and their sponsors with emails and texts requesting personal and banking details to access their finance.”

The SLC advises it will never ask students for their personal information via email and want to encourage students to be mindful of the personal information about themselves they post online and on social media too.”

Student Finance England who pays maintenance loans and grants is keen to make students at Universities and Colleges in England aware of the danger they face from online ‘phishing’ scams and to remind them that they will never request a customer’s personal or banking details by email or text message.

Over the last four Septembers alone, Student Finance England’s dedicated Counter Fraud and Security teams have prevented over £1.5 million of students’ initial maintenance payments being stolen through ‘phishing’ scams aimed primarily at freshers.

To receive their initial payments, students need to sign and return their online declaration forms and enrol on their courses for their university or college to confirm their attendance.